Messi event chaos: Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari promises ticket refunds for 33,000 spectators

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has pledged to refund ticket money to approximately 33,000 spectators who attended the Lionel Messi event in Kolkata last year, following a series of management issues that marred the occasion. During a National Sports Day programme, Adhikari expressed disappointment over the event's mismanagement, citing crowd overcrowding, VIP interference, and Messi's truncated appearance as key concerns.

The chief minister assured that the state sports budget would cover the refunds and vowed to depoliticise sports administration, emphasizing that sports should be governed by merit rather than political considerations. To address long-standing issues in the sports sector, Adhikari announced a Rs 400 crore budget for constructing mini indoor stadiums named Shri Aurobindo Stadium in all 294 Assembly constituencies, with the aim of completing 100 by the end of the year.

Additionally, he highlighted the clearing of appointment files for successful athletes and the awarding of prize money to 145 sports figures under new welfare initiatives.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.